The pre-election “gifts” of the West and TRIPP. Why are these the best in Armenia?

On the eve of the parliamentary elections on June 7, Armenia has turned into the scene of an open geopolitical confrontation between the West and Russia. During this campaign, Moscow is especially tightening the political rhetoric day by day regarding Yerevan’s EU integration policy. Russia declares at different levels that “Armenia cannot dance at two weddings”. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said today that it is necessary to see who will win the elections, and then only take measures and decide.

“Because if the pro-Western forces win, it means that Armenia is moving towards the European Union. And then it will be necessary to take appropriate measures,” he said. And Maria Zakharova claims that all this has nothing to do with the upcoming elections in Armenia. The Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, made it clear in a particularly tough style with his statements that “geopolitical betrayals” always have a heavy economic and security price.

Many people in Armenia believe that this political pressure of the Kremlin has a clear pre-election context. At the beginning of the campaign, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, made a statement in which he literally stated: “We expect that the pro-Russian forces of Armenia will also actively participate in the elections and have the opportunity to present an alternative vision of the country’s development.” Shortly after this address on May 1st, the summit of the European political community took place in Armenia, after which the Russian side began to make harsh comments and the serious problems of exporting Armenian products, which was perceived as the use of economic leverage. Nevertheless, Moscow avoids burning the bridges for good. the other day, Putin called Pashinyan to congratulate him on his birthday, and later it became clear that there was a preliminary agreement to meet after the elections and discuss all issues. The authorities, as well as the West, circulate the topic of Russian pressures in the best way, showing consolidation around the RA authorities.

The collective West does not hide that it supports Pashinyan’s government in every issue. During the pre-election campaign, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s one-hour visit to Yerevan took place, which became the first chord of American support. Days after that, Rubio openly stated that “the Russians want Pashinyan to lose these elections.” Moreover, US President Donald Trump expressed his personal clear support to Pashinyan in a post on his social platform.

The RA-US TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) framework agreement was also signed today. This document, which aims to create a new transport and energy route bypassing Russia and Iran, gives Washington a 74% controlling stake in the joint venture.

Along with the American side, the European Union also deployed its “anti-pressure” tools. During today’s phone conversation between Pashinyan and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission called Moscow’s actions “unacceptable economic pressure”. As a quick response, Brussels announced an immediate support package, with which 50 million euros will be directed to the resilience of the Armenian agri-food sector. The EU, according to announcements, seems to be trying to solve the issue of the export of flowers blocked in the Russian market, it was announced that the first large batch of Armenian flowers will be sent to Latvia, showing that the Russian embargo can be overcome with European solidarity. However, everyone understands that these are cosmetic, situational steps that will not solve the created systemic problem, but will create the impression that the EU is solving the problem.

Thus, this lightning reaction by Brussels just three days before the elections – an immediate package of 50 million euros and the urgent opening of the Latvian market for Armenian flowers – can hardly be considered merely as an ordinary economic partnership. It is obvious that these are unique “pre-election gifts” presented by the European Union to Pashinyan’s government, which have a clear political goal. Brussels is trying to objectively show the Armenian voter that the European vector has quick, tangible and financially beneficial results, which directly serves to strengthen the positions of the existing government before the vote and increase the attractiveness of the Western orientation.

By showing that the possible loss of the Russian market can be instantly compensated by European financial injections and new logistics channels, the West is trying to ease the economic worries among the Armenian public. This is a clearly calculated step, aimed at ensuring that the citizens approaching the polling stations on June 7 vote not out of fear, but seeing the tangible and guaranteed alternative offered by the West, which further sharpens the geopolitical nature of the elections.

The hasty signing of the TRIPP agreement with Washington on the eve of the vote is exactly the same political move. All these geopolitical gestures become the psychological and economic counterweight that are meant to strengthen in the eyes of the Armenian voters the foreign policy line that the authorities are leading, and which is the most criticized sphere within RA.

These developments document that Armenia is standing on the threshold of the most geopoliticized elections in its history, which is clearly evidenced by the unprecedented and open involvement of major powers in the pre-election processes. Moscow’s direct admonitions and economic hints, as well as the lightning-fast financial and strategic “gifts” of Washington and Brussels prove that on June 7, they are trying to make the Armenian voter face an external election. The final decision-maker remains the citizen of Armenia. In this most geopolitical election, the Armenian voter should be guided not by agendas imposed from outside, but by his inner convictions.

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